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Stopping Hacks
iRO Hacking
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Account Safety
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Getting hacked sucks. Not only might you lose hard-earned zeny or rares, the experience may leave you feeling violated, distrustful, and even cause you to leave the game altogether. Hopefully these pages will help prevent you from becoming a victim of an in-game hack, provide some tips for identifying imposters on yours or your friend's accounts, and help you with gathering evidence and reporting the crime. But first, some background info.

Why hacks occur
Gaming is big business - not just for those who pay to play, but also for those who make RL money selling rare items and zeny. In some countries, obtaining rare items and game zeny is an actual business; there are employees, a boss, and quotas that have to be met. Anytime real life money is at stake, there's bound to be a criminal element eager to find a shortcut. This is where many game hacks come into play. It is also one of the driving forces behind botting.

Social Engineering
The easiest way for a hacker to gain access to your account is by convincing you to give them your password. There are a number of ways they may try to do this:

• Impersonating a GM: Game hackers often pretend to be GMs and claim that you must provide your password to them or they will suspend your account. Legitimate GMs will NEVER ask for your password under ANY circumstances. If a GM asks for your password, he or she is NOT a GM. Take a screenshot, save the chat (type /savechat), and report it to iRO immediately. This includes via email or phone. A real GM from iRO will NEVER, EVER for ANY reason ask for your password.
• Pretending to help: Novices are particularly vulnerable to hackers who offer to power level your character or give you items if you give them your account information. Don't give your password to strangers - or people pretending to be friends - no matter how tempting the offer.
• Zeny generators: Some websites claim there's a bug in iRO that can be exploited to automatically add zeny or rare items to your character's account. These sites instruct you to enter your account login and password. There is no such bug. Your login details are sent to the hacker.
• In-game friends: No matter how friendly a person is online, if you don't really know them in real life, you should never trust them with your login name and password. Even if you do know them in real life, it's not a good idea. If you absolutely must give your password to someone (for example, so they can pay your account), change it as soon as they've finished. Here's How to Change Your Ragnarok Online Password.
• Guessing your account details: If you use your character's name as your login ID and especially if you have an easily guessed password, it can make it easier for game hackers to attack you. Make sure you use a strong password. For tips on choosing the right password and other account safety tips, see How To Protect Your Account From Hackers.

Keyloggers and Trojans
MMORPG Trojans and keyloggers are fairly prevalent. Again, it goes back to a matter of money. With real life cash to be made, criminals will pull out every stop to get it. We've got a whole section on Keyloggers and Trojans, including what they are, how to find out if you're infected (tip: antivirus software alone isn't enough), and even how to get rid of them.

Signs you've been hacked
If your character is in a place other than you left him or her, or you've discovered items or zeny are missing from your characters or from storage, or your xp is lower (or higher) than when you last played - consider the possibility that your account may have been compromised. Often, your in-game friends may be the ones who discover you've been hacked. Our good friend and savvy guildmate Ethan saved one of our other guildies from an ebil imposter. Check out this chat log from a hack for details.

How to report a hack
If you have been the victim of a game hacker, change your password immediately. As soon as you've successfully changed your password, login to the game to boot the imposter. Then log back out immediately and report the hack to iRO. Do not continue playing the game - this will make it harder for the GMs to investigate and may hurt your chances of getting any stolen items or zeny back.

Don't feed the criminals
Hacks exist because there's money to be made by doing it. If you buy in-game items or zeny, whether from eBay or any other source, you are encouraging hacking. Play an honest game. Level hard, hunt for your own rares, and don't feed the criminals by paying for stolen goods.

Any questions?
If you have questions or comments regarding any of the above, please post a message to our forum.